A statistical distribution that describes how particles are distributed among available energy states in thermal equilibrium, with more particles occupying lower energy states. This fundamental principle governs stellar atmospheres, gas temperatures, and spectral line strengths.
Named after Austrian physicist Ludwig Boltzmann, who developed statistical mechanics in the late 19th century. The distribution mathematically describes how thermal energy is shared among particles, forming the foundation of thermodynamics and statistical physics.
The Boltzmann distribution is like nature's democratic voting system for energy - most particles vote to stay in the low-energy ground floor, but a few rebels always move to higher floors! This simple rule explains why we see certain spectral lines in stars and how we can measure stellar temperatures from millions of miles away.
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